New York Knicks Deemed Best Fit for Chicago Bulls Former All-NBA Center

Getty Mitchell Robinson of the New York Knicks defending Bobby Portis.

The New York Knicks have monitored the center market as the team looks to add depth after losing Mitchell Robinson. It’s uncertain how much longer Robinson will be out, but there’s hope that he could return before the season ends.

According to The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie, a veteran center could be a good fit for the Knicks. Vecenie labels the Knicks as one of the best fits for Chicago Bulls center Andre Drummond.

“Drummond wouldn’t return a first-rounder given his foot speed limitations, but the Bulls could probably get a couple of second-rounders for him, much like the Lakers did for Thomas Bryant last winter. Having a big around who can eat minutes behind a starter is valuable, and Drummond has been effective in that role.”

Drummond has had an impressive season and given his $3.3 million contract, he’s someone who the Knicks should look to add. It wouldn’t cost them much and with the second-round picks that they have, he’s certainly worth one of them.

Mitchell Robinson Could Return This Season

The New York Knicks applied for a disabled player exception for the injured Robinson. The NBA denied the Knicks’ request for the exception, seemingly making the possibility of him returning much higher.

According to Peter Botte of the New York Post, the initial 8-10 week timeline for Robinson never changed from Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau:

“Tom Thibodeau had said last month that the front office applied for the salary-cap relief as due diligence in case it was determined the invaluable center would be out for the year, but the team’s timeline had not changed.”

If Robinson’s expected to return during the season, adding someone like Andre Drummond might not make a ton of sense for the Knicks. However, if they’re worried that Robinson will be injured for most of the season and not return the way he looked prior to his injury, adding a backup would be the ideal thing to do.

Knicks Monitoring Center Market

While the New York Knicks search for their next center, they could potentially add one of the best in the league. Karl-Anthony Towns is on the Knicks’ radar and will be as the deadline approaches.

Matt Moore of the Action Network reported the teams’ interest in the shooting center. The team, however, won’t add Robinson in this deal, according to Moore.

“Notably, the Knicks have no intention of including the injured Mitchell Robinson, even if he were healthy. Robinson is out another 6-8 weeks before being re-evaluated, with speculation that he could miss the rest of the season. Multiple sources said the Knicks have indicated they want to start Towns next to Robinson, similar to how the Wolves have had what come considered surprising success with Towns next to Gobert.”

What the team does at the deadline will be interesting. While a center might not be the biggest need, it’ll be telling what they do. If Robinson could return, they likely won’t add one unless it’s Towns. If they don’t, that could be a promising sign for his return.